Broadcast seeder.



- No. 683,545. Patenffedoct. l, |90|.

J. M. BAKER.

BROADCAST SEEDEB.

' (Appncatin med Mar. 2, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 683,545. Patented oct. l, |901.

. J. M. BAKER.

BROADCAST SEEDER.

(Application. led Max'. 2, 1901.) (no Modem 2 sheets-snee: 2.

l itlll'llllll 3 of the frame.

UNITED STATES JOHN M. BAKER,

OF NELSON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO IRVIN WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

BROADCAST SEEDER.

SPECIFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,545, dated October 1, 1901. Application iled March 2, 1901. Serial No. 49,618. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN M BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nelson, in the county of Saline and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Broadcast Seeder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved broadcast seeder for sowing grass, grain,and other seeds; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a broadcast seeder constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan View of a portion of the adjustable bracket. Fig. 4.- is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the same.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a frame 1, which resembles the frame of a wheelbarrow. A shaft 2 is j'ournaled in bearings near the vfront ends of the side bars Said shaft has a traction and supporting wheel 4. A friction -disk 5 revolves with said wheel 4c. Cross-bars 6 7 connect the side bars 3 of the frame, and at the rear ends of said side bars are formed suitable handles 8, by means of which the machine may be readily trnndled as a barrow. Supporting-legs 9 on the under sides of said bars 3 maintain the frame in a horizontal position when the machine is not in operation.

A bracket 10 has a foot 11, a horizontallydisposed inwardly-extending arm 12, and a curved arm 13, which is disposed over said arm 12. The foot of the bracket is provided at its ends with transverse slots 14: of suitable length. Screws or bolts 15 in said slots secure the foot of the bracket on one of the side bars 3 near the front end of the latter, said screws or bolts andsaid slots 'adapting the bracket to be laterally adjusted, as will be understood. A vertical shaft 16 is journaled in a bearing 17, with which the arm 13 is provided, and has its lower end stepped in a bearing 18 at the inner end of the arm 12. Said shaft has at its upper end a feed-Worm 19 and a stirring-pin or other suitable device 20. Below the feed-worm and on the said shaft is a revoluble broadcasting disk 21, which is concavo-convex in form, its upper side being concaved, and said broadcasting disk is provided with a series of radial arms 22 on its upper side. Said disk is secured to and rotates with the said shaft 1G. On the latter is a vertically-ad j ustable f riction-wheel 23, which engages the friction-disk 5, and hence imparts rotary motion to the shaft 16, the broadcasting disk 2l, and the worm 19 when the machine is in operation. A setscrew 24 or other suitable device is employed to secure the said friction-wheel 23 to said shaft 16 at any desired adjustment. By moving said friction-wheel 23 toward or from the center of t-he disk 5 the speed of the shaft 16, and hence of the broadcasting disk and of the feed-worm, may be increased or decreased, as may be required. Hence the quantity of seeds broadcasted over a given area may be predetermined and regulated at will. The requisite degree of compression between the friction-disk 5 and friction-wheel 23 to insure the rotation of the latter is obtained by adj usting the bracket 10 by the means and in the manner hereinbefore described.

A hopper 25 is supported above the front end vof the frame 1 by supporting-rods 26, which connect the same to the front ends of side bars 3 and to the center of the cross-bar 6. A vertical tubular spout 27, which depends from the lower end of the hopper and through which the contents of the hopper are discharged,forms a casing for the feed-worm 19. The latter rotates therein, and hence feeds the seeds from the hopper to the broadcasting disk, as will be understood.

It will be understood from the foregoing and by reference to the drawings that the broadcasting apparatus is disposed in an elevated position above the front end of the main frame and that the latter by reason of its open construction offers practically no Obstruction to the seeds as the same descend to the ground, and it Will be further understood that the seeds fall to the ground in advance of the operator who trundles the machine, so that his body oers no obstruction IOO to the seeds in their passage to the ground. Hence the seeds are scattered evenly and uuiformly, as will be understood.

While I have hereinbefore described and shown friction-gears for rotating the broadcasting disk, I do not limit myself to thisy means for rotating the disk, as any other form of gears may be substituted for frictiongears without departing from the spirit of my invention. z

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show a modified form of my invention in which the hopper 25a has on its lower side a horizontally-disposed feedtube 192. In the bottom of the hopper is an opening 28, through which seeds are disf charged onto a horizontally-disposed wormv 27a in said feed-tube. A cnt-off plate 30 opcrates on the bottom of the hopper and ist adapted to entirely close the opening 28 tofl cut off the discharge of seeds from the hopi per or to open the same to any desired exv tent, and hence regulate the quantity of seeds discharged from the hopper. An operatingrod 3l is provided for the cut-oft 30 and yextends through one end of the hopper, as shown. At the outer end of a shaft 32,which projects from one end of the feed-worm, is a pulley 83. The latter is connected to the axle 2 by an endless belt or cord 34:, and hence the feed-Worm is driven from the axle, as will be understood. Other modications may be made within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim- 1. In a broadcast seeder, the combination of a frame, a traction-wheel, a friction-disk revoluble therewith, an adjustable bracket, a vertical shaft guided in said bracket and carrying Aa revoluble broadcasting disk, a friction-Wheel adjustable on said shaft and coacting with said friction-disk, and means to discharge seeds onto said revoluble broadcasting disk, substantially as described.

2. Thecombination in a broadcast seeder, of a revoluble broadcasting disk, means to rotate and vary the speed thereof, a hopper, a revoluble feed-worm to convey seeds therefrom to said broadcasting disk, means to rotate and vary the speed of said feed-Worm, and means to regulate the supply of seeds to said feed-worm, substantially as described.

3. In a broadcast seeder, the combination of a frame, a traction-wheel, a friction-disk revoluble therewith, an adjustable bracket, a vertical 'shaft guided in said bracket and carrying a revoluble broadcastingdisk, a friction-wheel on said shaft and coacting with said friction-disk, and means to discharge seeds onto said revoluble broadcasting disk, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN M. BAKER.

. Witnesses:

J. T. COLEMAN, S. J. AsHBY. 

